After Azazel finished speaking, the camera shifted to the other side.
There stood a man with long gray hair, gray eyes, and a calm smile. The moment he appeared, the entire venue erupted into the loudest cheers in its history.
"And joining us, we have another special guest! Ranked No. 1 among high-class devils, the reigning champion! The Emperor himself—Diehauser Belial!"
The undisputed ruler of the professional Ranking Games—the Emperor, and the ultimate goal of Sairaorg!
"Hello everyone, I'm Diehauser Belial. It's a pleasure to be here."
With a refreshing smile, this No. 1-ranked champion was, in every respect, on par with the Maou.
"Now, let's hear from our advisors—Governor Azazel for the Gremory team, and the Emperor for the Bael team—on their thoughts about today's match."
"As for the Gremory team, without question they're the strongest. In terms of both individual skill and teamwork, they're unmatched."
Azazel, his smile gone, gave this decisive evaluation without hesitation.
"I believe Sairaorg, as the 'King' of his team, is outstanding. I have high hopes for him," Diehauser Belial said with a confident smile.
Rias was watching the broadcast intently.
"Diehauser Belial? This so-called Emperor—what does that title mean?"
"It's a title given to the one who ranks first in the Rating Games. It's also been my goal all along. That title is revered and respected among devils, just like the Maou themselves!"
Rias's voice carried excitement. This champion was the final obstacle she would one day face to realize her dream—to earn the highest title in the Rating Games.
Her eyes burned with determination.
"I will defeat him someday. But for now, the priority is to defeat the opponent in front of us. Otherwise, I won't even have the ground to stand on to chase my dream."
"Don't worry—you'll achieve it. I promise."
Yoru said this with a smile, and Rias nodded back with full confidence.
The commentary continued.
"First, let's talk about the matter of Phoenix Tears."
The miraculous item that could instantly heal any injury—its availability could directly affect battle strategy, and Rias had been concerned about it.
"As you all know, due to the recent string of terror incidents caused by the Khaos Brigade, tensions are high across all factions. As a result, demand for the Tears has skyrocketed, making them extremely difficult to prepare for the Games. However!"
The host gestured toward the giant display, where an ornate box containing two bottles appeared.
"Thanks to the generosity of the current head of the Phoenix family, and in appreciation of the support shown to both the Bael and Gremory factions, each team will be granted one Phoenix Tear for this match!"
The audience roared with excitement at the announcement.
This was undeniably good news for Rias's side. Such a precious item would naturally be reserved for the King's use. And as many remembered, Yoru's power was such that even a Phoenix Tear couldn't heal his attacks.
After presenting the Tears, the host moved on to the most crucial announcement.
"In addition, this match will be held under special rules!"
Yoru wasn't surprised at all. The gap in strength between the two sides was simply too large—not just because of him, but even Fenrir alone could give most Maou-class opponents trouble.
And considering Yoru had once left Fenrir half-dead with ease, his power was in a league of its own. If they didn't impose special rules, the match might end in a complete one-sided crush. To keep the game dramatic, restrictions were inevitable.
"Before announcing the special rules, allow me to first explain the match format! This will not be a full-team chase battle in the arena, but a tournament-style competition! In order to give the audience the most excitement, this will be a short-term showdown! Though our competitors are young devils, this format is the same as that used in high-class professional Ranking Games!"
As the host spoke, Yoru rolled his eyes in boredom. He had a feeling he wouldn't be seeing much action today. On the other hand, Rias's expression had grown serious—she clearly suspected what was coming.
The special rule was then revealed.
"Now, for the unique rule of this match! Would both Kings please step to your designated control platforms?"
Rias and Sairaorg moved to the control stands on their respective sides.
Several devices appeared on the stands—each one containing dice.
"These dice will decide the battle! This match will use one of the main formats from the professional Ranking Games—'Dice Figure'!"
"Dice Figure, huh…"
Kiba Yuuto, recognizing the term, began explaining.
"In the official Ranking Games, there are many special match formats. We've mostly used standard rules so far. Other formats include things like this dice-based system, or 'Scramble Flag', where both teams fight over a flag placed in the center of the field. Dice Figure is one of the most iconic formats—it uses dice to decide who can fight."
"So what, each piece is assigned a value, and whoever's total matches the dice roll gets to go out?"
Yoru asked curiously, and Kiba nodded.
"Exactly. That's the rule."
With that confirmation, Yoru was now certain—he wasn't going to get a turn at all.
The host continued explaining for the audience.
"For those unfamiliar—these dice have six sides numbered one to six. The number rolled determines which players may participate!"
"As everyone knows: a Pawn is worth 1 point, Knight and Bishop are worth 3, Rook is 5, and Queen is 9."
"Depending on the total rolled, you can send out any combination of pieces whose values match that number. That's the battle format for this match!"
Yoru sighed. As was well-known, he had been reincarnated using Rias's eight Pawn pieces—meaning his value was 8. It looked like numbers that high simply wouldn't be rolled at all.
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